Wednesday 18 April 2012

The evolution of a cot

My kids had the most beautiful cots (cribs if you want) that my FIL made for us - we got one when I was pregnant with the Princess and used it for a few months as a bench at the end of our bed (with no  sides) after she moved to her big girl bed. Unfortunately I took no pictures of it at the time. My FIL designed the sledge cots to be utilised for that or as a kiddies couch after their use as baby beds. When we found out that no 2 was actually no 2 and 3 he sent us a twin cot. I feel that they were a huge and beautiful gift made by their grandfather for them and that I can not sell or give them away and no one in the rest of the family wanted them for their new babies. So we decided to re use them as intended, for kiddies couches. But I have one of those ugly plastic kiddy tables in my living area....And then I saw this picture on Marcia's blog which provided just enough inspiration.
 Well, suffice to say that we did something with it that my FIL never thought about - and he loves the idea. Because it is a sledge cot and has the uprights and a bottom rail we had to adapt a bit and made an over sized top with slots to go over the sides and painted it in blackboard paint so that they could actually comfortably sit with their legs under the top. So in pictures, I present the evolution of our cots.
Our special double crib

Two separate cots later

The one that is still a kiddies couch


The brand new desk/cot  I use the plastic party tubs to put all the stationery in and a paper tray for the scrap office paper that we use to draw on (earth friendly and all that) and a sturdy shoe box, still to be decorated for stencils etc. I also have some colouring books close at hand in the one corner.
Joining in today with a very Wordful Wednesday and a Way back Wednesday
and Parenting by Dummies for Wordful Wednesday
and Twinfatuation for Way back Wednesday.


23 comments:

  1. That is so amazing! What a neat idea!

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  2. I love this!!!! Now each boy can have on one day when they have kids.

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  3. This is so stunning - you did an awesome job with those cots. If I had the space, I too would do this with the cot we still have of our two children.

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  4. This is awesome...the bench as well as the desk. It is fabulous that you could adjust it to last the little ones a long time.

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  5. I love, love, LOVE it. It's serving a practical and a sentimenal use :)

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  6. I LOVE what you have done here! Makes me wish that I still have out cribs/cots so I could make that fun desk.

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  7. That's amazing! I saw Marcia post this, but I've never see anyone actually DO it! That's really awesome!

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  8. Yay, I can finally comment...have battling for days...

    I absolutely love what you have done...so awesome!

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  9. Wow! Your grandfather is super talented - those cots are beautiful! And what a genius idea on converting them to a chalkboard desk...very cool! :)


    Creation from a Hunger Games Obsession

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  10. Phew can comment again - yr comment box is a pain in the you know what!

    I LOVE what you have done here. Such an amazing idea x

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  11. Cat, I am AWED by this! Surely this is design magazine caliber! :) Oh so very very creative and transition-wise. Completely a perfection of a Way Back When-esday! Thank you for playing along!

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  12. Wow, what a treasure those cots are from your FIL!

    And kudos to you for making such great use out of one, for the desk. I can only imagine how much your kiddos must love having that "station", too.

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  13. I love this! Wha a wonderful way to keep a special cot in rotation!

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  14. LOVE how you re-purposed it. It looks STUNNING!

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  15. Oh wow that is SO clever!! LOVE it!!

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  16. SUCH a clever idea!!! It looks stunning.

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  17. Both the couch and the desk are great!

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  18. Those cribs are amazing! What a beautiful gift for them to have hand made cots from their grandfather!! And I love what you've done with them now!!!

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  19. Aaah - that is sooo special! The whole thing: the handmade cots - to the evolution to a desk and couch! awesome. We have a shop- bought cot that housed all 3 of our precious babies. It is now dismantled and in our garage, I do not have the heart to part with it... and hope that maybe, one day, it will house a grandchild or 2 :0

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  20. wow, those cots were exquisite! that pic of the double cot with your babas in made my uterus do a little double take! ;-) I am going to be sure not to look at that photo again! eish, ougat. what a brilliant idea - both the couch and craft table!

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  21. Very creative!! Staying in the family!

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  22. oh wow! those look amazing! very clever recycling...

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